Ukraine has one million homes without power as a result of Russia's attack on the energy grid.

 

A firefighter works at the site of a Russian strike in Odesa(Image:BBC)

According to officials, a barrage of overnight Russian strikes has damaged energy and industrial infrastructure, leaving over a million Ukrainian households without electricity. Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine's interior affairs minister, stated that five regions had been affected, at least five people had been injured, and efforts were being made to put out fires and get supplies back. While Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have been common throughout the war, Moscow has intensified strikes as the country heads into winter.

 This comes as the overseas envoy of US President Donald Trump will travel to Germany this weekend to meet with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue discussions on ending the war. Steve Witkoff, who has been leading White House attempts to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, will discuss the latest version of the proposed peace agreement in Berlin.

 Zelensky stated on Saturday that Russia used more than 450 drones and 30 missiles in overnight strikes. According to Klymenko, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Chernihiv were affected. Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to track because they can change direction in mid-flight, were said to have been used in the strikes, according to the Russian defense ministry. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all offsite power overnight "due to widespread military activities affecting the electrical grid", but is now reconnected.

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 The plant is in Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.  It is not operating, but relies on a constant power supply to cool its reactors.

 According to Russian regional governor Roman Busargin, a drone strike on a residential building in Saratov resulted in the deaths of two individuals. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has held a number of rounds of talks with representatives of Russia and Ukraine, but there has been little indication that a breakthrough is imminent. The administration is pushing for a deal to end the war by Christmas. Which European leaders will attend the Berlin talks has not yet been confirmed. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported details of the meeting, said UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would all take part.

 Following Ukraine's presentation of a revised 20-point peace plan to the United States at the end of November, which sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity, the Witkoff-Zelensky meeting follows. With Kyiv refusing to cede illegally occupied land and Moscow reiterating its intention to forcefully take the Donbas region unless Ukraine withdraws, the fate of territory in eastern Ukraine remains one of the most difficult issues in the negotiations. Zelensky has reacted sceptically to the White House's latest proposal on resolving the territorial question, which is for Ukraine's army to pull out of the region and for it to be turned into a "special economic zone".

 The Ukrainian president told reporters that under the US-proposed terms, the Kremlin would undertake not to advance into the areas vacated by Ukraine's forces, with the land between Russian-controlled parts of the Donbas and Ukraine's defensive lines effectively turned into a demilitarised zone.

 "What will stop Russia from moving forward? or by sneaking in under the guise of civilians?" said Zelensky.

Ukraine and its allies in Europe have publicly praised the progress made in securing amendments to a plan that was initially viewed as favoring Russia and described the US-led talks as fruitful. But in recent weeks, there have been indications that Trump is losing patience with Zelensky and those who support him on the continent. The US president reiterated his call for Ukraine to hold elections in a scathing interview with Politico earlier this week. In the interview, he called European leaders "weak." Zelensky stated that elections could be held within 90 days provided Europe and the United States provided adequate security. Elections have been suspended since martial law was declared when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

 As the White House's diplomatic push continues, attention in Europe is focused on how to support Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, with talks ongoing over security guarantees and funding.

 The Ukrainian government faces a stark financial situation: it needs to find an extra €135.7bn (£119bn; $159bn) over the next two years.

 On Friday, EU nations agreed to indefinitely freeze around €210bn (£185bn; $247) worth of Russian assets held in Europe.

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 If a deal can be reached at an EU summit next week, it is hoped that the agreement will open the way for the funds to be loaned back to Ukraine. This will give Kyiv money to help its military and rebuild parts of the country that have been destroyed by nearly four years of all-out war. The Kremlin has branded that move as theft, and Russia's central bank has announced that it will sue Euroclear, a Belgian bank that holds the vast majority of Russian assets that were frozen following the invasion. Officials are still negotiating the exact structure of a deal to repurpose the Russian assets on behalf of Ukraine, with the Belgian government particularly sceptical due to its legal exposure as the main holder.

 In another report, it was stated that the most recent version of the peace plan that is being distributed envisions Ukraine joining the European Union rapidly. According to the Financial Times, Brussels supports Ukraine's rapid accession to the bloc, a suggestion Ukraine made in the most recent draft it gave to Washington. Days after the 2022 invasion, Ukraine submitted a formal application to become a member of the EU. Despite assurances that the process would be expedited, it is still several years away from joining. Under the plan, Ukraine would become a member as soon as January 2027, AFP reported, citing an unnamed senior official.  It was unclear whether Washington had approved that element of the draft.

Source: BBC News.